Looking Both Ways

Months ago, a handyman of ours worked on a century old home in East Nashville. During the job, he replaced a few pieces of broken stained glass in the front windows. This week, I thought about that home and how having those beautiful windows would be almost like having Christmas lights installed and plugged in every day of the year:

As 2012 comes to a close, we reflect on both window panes and growing pains:

While continuing to provide quality service to our existing clients, we have met and helped many new clients with their homes, and we have worked through some growing pains. We are thankful that you were patient with us when we expanded our workload a little faster than we expanded our workforce. We continue to expect excellence of ourselves and of anyone we would send to work in your homes. Because of our extensive screening process, it takes us a bit longer to find honest and highly skilled craftsmen who also communicate effectively and put our clients first. We are now adequately staffed to take care of more great clients, while maintaining our super low overhead. Thus, we can continue to provide top quality repairs while charging around 25% less than our competitors.

In 2012, our company continued to gain recognition for our efforts:

Earlier this year, we learned that we had been selected for the 2012 Nashville Award in the Handyman Service Contractors category by the Nashville Award Program Committee. The Nashville Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the Nashville area. Each year, they identify companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success. Their selected local companies enhance the positive image of small business through service to both customers and community.

In October, we picked up a copy of the Nashville Scene, wondering where whether Results Handyman Service would be included in their annual "Best of Nashville" issue. We were thrilled to learn that in the 2012 Best of Nashville Readers' Poll, we were not just listed, but Scene readers had voted us Number One in the Best Handyman category! We enjoy the challenge of competing against companies that are larger than us and that have been in business in Nashville for decades. We may not be the biggest or the oldest handyman company, but are honored to have so many people in Nashville who now regard us as the best.

Looking ahead:

As the first month of new year is just a few days away, we recall that January was named after Janus. In Roman mythology, Janus was a god of doorways and passages. In art, he is depicted with two heads facing in opposite directions. Today, while we really enjoy looking back, we also look forward to new opportunities in 2013 and beyond. As we begin our 5th year as a handyman company, we have plans for continued growth, especially in a couple of key areas that we will share with you very soon. We also plan on improving how we manage larger projects, so that we can complete them faster and more efficiently.

One thing that won't change is our commitment to being the best residential handyman company in the Nashville area. We promise you that we will keep our focus on you and your home. We definitely aren't going to design or build any mansions this year. You also won't see us servicing the HVAC units at the new convention center. Our one simple goal remains: to provide homeowners with friendly, skilled, high quality service people at reasonable prices. We won't be satisfied until we achieve 100% client satisfaction.

We hope everyone has a happy and healthy new year! Stay tuned to this blog in 2013 for tips on maintaining and improving your home.

Bill Boyd

Stay Safe and Protect your Home this Winter

Winter and the holidays can be some of the best times you will have at your home. Below are a few tips to help you stay safe and protect your biggest investment this winter.

I was asked by a client last week if he could use indoor extension cords for outdoor holiday lightning. I wanted to do my Fire Marshall Bill impression (let me show you something!) but realized that safety is no laughing matter. Extension cords are classified for either indoor or outdoor use. Outdoor cords are more durable and rated to withstand a wide range of temperatures, moisture, etc. It's OK to use an outdoor cord indoors, but you should never use an indoor-rated cord outdoors…doing so could shock someone or cause a fire hazard. Read and follow all the instructions on your lights and power cords. If you plan on treating your neighborhood to a Griswold type lighting display, we recommend that you have a licensed electrician inspect your wiring and circuit protection.

Home fires occur more often during the winter months than any other time of the year. Fire hazards include candles, space heaters and fireplaces. It is smart to buy and install smoke alarms on every floor of your home. Smoke alarms should be tested monthly. According to the CDC, carbon monoxide poisonings peak in December and January. Carbon monoxide detectors can be life savers, but more than 2/3 of American homes don't have one in place.

Outside your home, it it is wise to remove dead tree branches. Even a small amount of ice or snow on dead branches, along with wind, can cause them to break and damage your home. If you haven't already, now is an excellent time to clean your gutters. Snow and ice can quickly fill your gutters if they are already clogged with debris. When snow and ice begins to melt, the resulting water can get under your roofing. This water can cause serious damage your ceilings and walls.

Bill Boyd